so how do you like your pallet coop??

[gmendoza]

I still have work in our pallet coop.I stilll have to make a 4'x4'x6'high partition in the run to accomodate the silkies for breeding.

 

[cabincrazyone]

First, shipping pallets and skids are made from wood on the bottom of the quality scale. If they can't sell it, they make pallets out of it. So don't expect loverly boards. I don't know if this holds true all over the country, but the pallets I've seen are either scrub oak or poplar wood. Oak is a son-of-a-gun to work with, especially the gnarly, twisted pallet boards ... but the end result is a very tough building. Poplar rots very quickly if it gets wet, but is easy to work with ... so don't get it wet.

Most likely you'll be getting your hands on the type of pallet that has four inch spaces between the boards. You have to take those apart. They're put together with air gun nails that are twisted like screws, so pulling them out is "a lot of fun". When you have enough wood for your building from taking pallets apart, congratulate yourself because you're more than half done. Building the coop will be easy in comparison.

If you're designing a small building that has walls no longer than the pallet boards, then there are no additional considerations. What I mean is .... I built an 8 x 12 shed from skid materials years ago ... I set the studs at intervals that matched the length of the pallet boards. Plan ahead. Scribble up at least a crude plan so that you don't forget and have the roof needing boards six inches longer than those you have. That's really the only difference when using short materials. Plan for the short boards and you will maximize your material use and minimize sawing.

I hope I'm not sounding toooo discouraging. Remember ... the price is right.

Edit: I just looked at WA4-H poultrymom's BYC page. If you aren't limited by the number of pallets
you can drag home, you may want to see their plans. You won't have to tear pallets apart, but you'll need to have plywood for "skin". Here's her page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=22465-our-pallet-coop-duplex

 

[Bobby Joe]

try cutting the nails with a reciprocating saw just bump the board to create a small crack between them and using a metal cutting blade just cut the nails

Mark & Nique :

Howdy,

I am currently building our own pallet coop.

I have to agree with the statements made above: pallets are A LOT of work to take apart; they are often not square; they are CHEAP, CHEAP! I have found that when the wood is sanded, it looks a lot better. (Ours is yet to be painted.)​